Dempsey denies rumors about General Ham

| October 29, 2012

The Associated Press reports that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Martin Dempsey released a statement today to lay the rumors to rest that General Carter Ham was fired from his position as the commander of Africom because of events on September 11th;

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey issued a written statement Monday calling speculation about the reasons for Ham’s move “absolutely false.”

[…]

Dempsey said Monday that Ham’s departure is part of “routine succession planning.”

Dempsey’s record of truthfulness in political matters doesn’t help him in this discussion. I didn’t believe the rumors that Ham was being fired until I see that Dempsey has something to say about it. Ham’s term as commander of Africom doesn’t end for another six months. He took command in March 2011. It just seems a little a little premature to announce a replacement with a quarter of his term still remaining. Maybe Ham blew his nose or showed the soles of his shoes in front of the wrong people.

Category: Big Army

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DaveO

Not necessarily true. If Ham was being replaced prematurely, it may be his attempts/actions to date toward ensuring/assuring American interests in Libya, Mali, and Egypt (where we have soldiers in the Sinai) which contradict the Obama-Clinton Doctrine of repudiation of America.

Or, it may be his efforts with respect to General William E. Ward: clean up, or continuance of abuse.

Or, Ham went north and became as corrupt as a New York Senator.

2-17 Air Cav

Did you know that you can follow Marty on Twitter? I guess it’s my age but that sounds so ridiculous to me. For some reason, Marty had no comment on Twitter from Sept 12 through 17. How could he not have mentioned his 12 Sept call to that Rev. Jones asking Jones to disavow the fim that nobody saw? What kind of tweeter is he, anyway? I did get a kick out of Marty’s Twitter tweet of 17 October. It’s a quote from Patton: “If everyone is thinking alike, then someobne isn’t thinking.” The essence of irony there.

MCPO NYC USN (Ret.)

@ Air Cav … follow who on what?

I don’t even know what that means!

Ex-PH2

Has anyone seen my thumbscrews?

What? They were sent where? Oh! Well, that explains a lot.

2-17 Air Cav

@3. Exactly. About two years ago, Jonnused the letters FB in a post, just like that: FB. I said to myself, typo? Fuulback? What the hell is FB! Heck, I still write actually letters (in ink!) now and then. What’s more, I send them throgh the US mail. Can you imagine? But that Twitter tweeting stuff is alien to me. At least I know now what it is. Just the same, it strikes me as a tad common and undignified for people in certain positions to be “TWEETING.”

Just Plain Jason

Dempsey has had his head up the one’s ass ever since he too his job.

OWB

We used Twitter successfully before it was all the rage – to keep a group of folks informed during a friend’s heart surgery and hospitalization. (Zero? You may remember the incident about which I am speaking?) It made sense under those circumstances – update Twitter, from the cell at the hospital, instead of running a call list for each little detail. Since then, I’ve had no reason to use it.

Meanwhile – if Dempsey says the hurricane is about to make landfall in New Jersy, I would assume that it turned out to sea instead.

OWB

Forgot to add that if it is true that “speculation about the reasons for Ham’s move (is) “absolutely false” does this mean that he was moved because he is a space alien? Otherwise, it is a pretty safe bet that at least one item of speculation is true. I don’t know which part that would be, but what are the odds that no one hit upon the true reason for the move among all that speculation?

What an idjit amomg maroons.

Just Plain Jason

I just want people to keep “asking questions”.

antisocialist

I have heard from others’ “reliable sources” that General Ham has a terminally ill wife, and that had something to do with his reassignment. Don’t know how true that is, but…

Smaj

Dempsey is the worst kind of lying politcal hack crapweasel. If he says Ham wasn’t relieved/removed then you know that’s EXACTLY what happened. The truth will eventually come out.

2-17 Air Cav

@10. Exactly. Push, push, and push some more. Contacted your rep yet? It’s the House that has to get impeachment hearings rolling.

2-17 Air Cav

@9. Damn codes. First FB and now Coast to Coast. Well, for MCPO, at least, here’s Coast to Coast.

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/

OWB

Hah! At least I had heard of it – didn’t know what it was, really, but had heard of it. Sounds kinda like the three of us could do that monkey thing – hear no, see no, speak no?

Hey, hey.

Ex-PH2

At this point, I do not place much reliance on anything that comes out of anyone directly connected to the administration.

2-17 Air Cav

They’re asking Dempsey about Ham rumors? They ought to be asking him whether there was anything to his knowledge that arose during or after Benghazi that prompted him to consider resigning. He would say NO, of course. Then, later, when obama is either UNelected or impeached, he would be stuck. No book deals. No Oprah. No nothing. Just shame.

DaveO

Twitter, used tactically, is a great tool for coordinating a convergence of forces, calling in firepower, with a speed that would make a Battle Captain as necessary as a fourth anus.

(If you’re in the Pentagon, and you’re considered emergency personnel because your 2-star can’t get the day without a briefing, you know why you need 3 assholes)

Ex-PH2

Anyone have Dempsey’s direct phone number? I feel the need to engage in some anger management therapy.

Just an Old Dog

When the Politicians control the Military, who protects the people and the Constitution from the Politicians?

Virtual Insanity

Word I get from those I know who served with Ham speak highly of him.

What do those that served with Dempsey say?

Just Plain Jason

Actually I have contacted my congressman. I should give my senator a call, the good one not the dumbass who is running for senate.

Just Plain Jason

Just contacted my senator.

Anonymous

#19, Ex-PH2,

Yes… Unfortunately, cannot post it publicly. Says so right on top of the document. Damn legal-ese.

J.M.

@21: I served under Dempsey in 03 and the Demspey I remember from then is not the Dempsey I see on the news now. The Dempsey in 03 put Soldiers first, his personal comfort last and could remember (without an aide whispering in his ear) the first names of every Soldier in the DIV TOC.

The Dempsey of 2012 greatly disappoints anyone who knew him before.

Ex-PH2

@24m that’s just a damn shame.

2-17 Air Cav

EVEN IF your congreecritter is left of obama and as nutty as Joey Biden, send him or her an email demanding accountability NOW on the Benghazi fiasco. Your Lefty will at least get the message that this isn’t going away and that America wants the truth.

jstol3

Whether Ham was arrested and then relieved is really beside the point. Its up to him to tell that story. What is important is that the men at Benghazi were not relieved as they should have been. I called my Rep. and Senator and told them both that they should prevail on Barry to resign.

Ex-PH2

I can’t, AirCav. I get enough political ad junk mail in my USPS mailbox. The shredder is going to start refusing it. If I send any of those buttblisters an e-mail, they’ll have my e-mail address and then I’ll NEVER GET RID OF THEM.

http://cheezburger.com/6628209920

UpNorth

I sent my rep. an e-mail. It’ll be useless to try that with either of my senators. They’re named Levin and Stabenow. I’ve tried in the past on issues, the call or e-mail never gets past the unpaid college intern in the office, and they’re more ignorant than the average liberal.